From Python to politics

Nonfiction director Emmy nominees ran gamut

The Emmy nominees for directing nonfiction programming created projects that cover the broad spectrum of human experience, from outrageous comedy to inspirational contemporary politics and horrifying terrorist plots.

Bill Jones and Ben Timlett share an Emmy nom for “Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer’s Cut),” which told the kind of strange, wandering tale of Python’s evolution that you’d expect.

“By the People: The Election of Barack Obama,” directed by Amy Rice and Alicia Sams, pulled back the veil from the process of campaigning. In many instances, key players in Obama’s campaign were seen trying to guide him and shape his speeches to keep the then-candidate on message.

The long-running series “The Amazing Race” also earned an Emmy nod for the episode “I Think We’re Fighting the Germans, Right?” Helmed by Bertram van Munster, this installment in the series pushed contestants especially far with a challenging series of tasks.

The disturbing “My Lai,” helmed by Barak Goodman, analyzed one of the most shocking episodes in recent American military history through interviews with the soldiers and civilians who were there.

Dan Reed’s “Terror in Mumbai” examined the specter of international terrorism and how those who attacked key targets inside India in 2008 managed to slip past security to take lives and destroy property.